Table 3: Sample Size for Binary Outcomes, Clustered (assumes equal group sizes in baseline / endline)

For the sampled qualitative participants such as Community Health Workers (CHWs), School teachers,

Extension Officers, Lead Farmers, Peer Educators and Male Champions, the plan is to use purpose sampling to select participants of Focus Group Discussions (FGD) (total 18 FGDs) and a total of 18 Key Information Interviews (KII) to ensure a comprehensive and representative collection of qualitative feedback from diverse stakeholders involved in the project using standard tools.

This approach will facilitate insights that can inform learnings for the future programming for maternalchild nutrition

1.       Geographic Areas: The qualitative study will be conducted in nine (9) villages where project activities were implemented. These areas include a mix of peri-urban and rural settings to capture varied experiences and perspectives. Eighteen (18) FGDs will be conducted in total, two from each village (Twelve (12) from Mbeya, six (6) from Njombe) selected study sites.

2.       Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): FGDs will involve the following group comprising 6 to 12 participants:

•       Adolescents (10-19 years)

•       Caregivers of Adolescents/CU2 (Including Pregnant Women) Sampling Approach for FGDs:

•       Purposive Sampling: Within each geographic area, select participants from different major course, socio-economic backgrounds and communities to ensure diversity in perspectives for each of the FGD category, targeting respondents who have had a significant participation on the project.

•       Recruitment: Use of community health workers to identify and recruit participants, ensuring representation from various demographic groups.

Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): A CHW and either two of School teacher, Extension Officers, Lead Farmer, Peer Educator or Male Champion from each of the nine (9) villages of qualitative study will be targeted for interviews.

Sampling Approach for KIIs:

•       Purposeful Sampling: Select individuals based on their roles, experience, and contributions to the project.

•       Geographic Consistency: Conduct interviews in the same geographic areas as the FGD participants to maintain contextual relevance.

4.3Data Collection and Training

With guidance of CRS, the Consultant will train enumerators to administer the questionnaire and qualitative tools to ensure the most accurate responses possible. The Consultant should also identify enumerators and conduct the recommended three-days enumerator training and a one-day pretesting of data collection tools. During the testing, two enumerators will assess the same participant to detect and minimize accuracy related errors. Apart from training on how to administer the questionnaire and qualitative tool, enumerators will be oriented on data collection ethics (e.g., informed consent, maintaining confidentiality, voluntariness, protection of human subjects) and CRS safeguarding principles. Additionally, enumerators will carefully review and practice the structured questionnaire (i.e., survey). It is required that the qualitative questionnaire be translated into Swahili prior or during the training by the Consultant.

Data will be collected using the CommCare platform. CRS Team will lead in execution of any adaptation of the questionnaire into CommCare. After data collection, CRS Team will export data to spreadsheet for analysis by the Consultant in Stata or SPSS, as appropriate. 

To ensure the quality of data management, the following steps will be taken:

•       Proper logics and constraints/ validation will be incorporated while developing definition file (ICT4D file) of the endline data collection tool.

•       The data collection tool will build in mechanisms to randomly flag responded to be selected to be reinterviewed by the supervisors, as part of quality check during data collection.

•       Office testing, in addition to field-level verification, will further strengthen the quality of data collection. 

•       FGD and KII data will be recorded and transcribed for transparency

•       The CRS will monitor uploaded data, daily, and share feedback with the data collection team to ensure the quality.

•       Conducting a daily de-brief exercise with enumerators will also ensure better management during data collection.

•       Once the survey data is uploaded, data cleaning process will also ensure data quality. 

•       Raw and final data forms will be safely stored in CRS OneDrive.

4.4Data Analysis and report writing 

Quantitative survey data will be collected directly using standard ICT4D solutions (CommCare) provided by CRS. The cleaned database shall be imported into standard survey data analysis package such as SPSS, STATA or R, for tabulating the indicator estimates, and their confidence intervals and p-values, and additional statistical analysis including basic descriptive statistics and calculation of key performance indicators as per the definitions, calculations and disaggregation described in the project’s plan. We expect consultant to propose a sound approach to be used in data analysis, visualisation, and presentation.

Data collected from Key In-depth Interview and FGDs will be translated to English and transcribed before manually analysed to find pattern of relationship of emerging themes. The analysis of qualitative data will include daily field reflection to highlight key emerging themes based on the key objectives. The daily reflection will give the general sense of the data. Then themes will be approached inductively. Inductive approach will allow unanticipated themes to emerge from the data set. Then data will be associated   with the themes created through highlighting text elements words, sentence, and or paragraph from each transcript.  Data from the interviews and focus group discussions will be presented in a simple and straightforward manner with descriptions supported by direct quotations and photos during observation

A virtual participatory reflection event will be held over the course of two days after data analysis is complete with attendance from CRS and partner staff. Findings will be shared with the participants followed by participatory review and discussion on the findings. The participatory reflection event will be used to validate the endline findings, answer any why & how questions, and assess any unexpected findings.

The endline report is estimated to have maximum of 45 pages excluding title page, acronyms page, table of content page and appendices with the outline below:

•       A title page

•       A list of acronyms and abbreviations 

•       A table of contents, including a list of annexes 

•       An executive summary (2 pages)

•       An introduction describing the project’s background and context (2 pages)

•       A description of the project’s, including the results framework (2 pages)

•       A statement of the purpose of the endline (1 page)

•       An overview of the approach and methodology and data sources (3 page) 

•       A description of the endline findings (30 pages)

•       Recommendations based on the endline findings (5 pages)

•       Appendices

4.5Ethical Considerations

The endline team must adhere to ethical guidelines as outlined national ethical requirements. A summary of these guidelines is provided below:

3.                   Informed Consent: All respondents are expected to provide informed consent following standard and pre-agreed consent protocols. An informed consent and assent form will be developed and translated in Kiswahili before the data collection training. The enumerators will be trained on these ethical guidelines to ensure adherence. The respondents will first receive an explanation of the purpose of the study; only respondents who have formally consented and agreed to participation will be interviewed. 

4.                   Systematic Inquiry: CPs conduct systematic inquiries linked to a clear data collection protocol.

5.                   Integrity/Honesty: Enumerators display honesty and integrity in their own behavior and attempt to ensure the honesty and integrity of the entire evaluation process.

6.                   Respect for People: Enumerators respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants, clients, and other evaluation stakeholders. It is expected that the evaluator will obtain the informed consent of participants to ensure that they can decide in a conscious, deliberate way whether they want to participate. National guidelines on interviewing participants who are minors will be followed

        6.     Roles and Responsibilities 

In implementation and execution of the assignment, the Consultant will undertake the following key tasks:

•       Conduct desk-review of research studies, relevant government official reports and project documents including technical proposal, results framework (RF) progress reports, which will be agreed upon and made available prior to the implementation of the study

•       Develop inception report, detailing the agreed upon study design, methodology, indicators, data- gathering tools, qualitative tools, analysis plan and work plan schedule to carry out the assignment.

•       Facilitate the recruitment of enumerators and conduct 4-day training for the data collection teams including pre-testing of data collection tools in collaboration with the CRS project team

•       Review and translate data collection tools as required

•       Ensure compliance to the approved research ethical clearance from NIMR 

•       Lead data collection in the field

•       Monitor quality of the data collected (sample check) and conduct daily random quantitative data quality checks of uploaded data to rectify errors

•       Monitor the enumerators during data collection and conduct daily de-brief meeting and share critical findings for future learnings

•       Data processing, cleaning and report writing

•       Presentation of the findings to key stakeholders to facilitate findings validations and dissemination for the finding

•       Produce an evaluation report as specified in the SoW

        7.     Deliverables and Schedule 

The duration of the assignment is expected to be one month (30 Days), starting mid of February and be completed by mid-March 2026.   Innovative approaches that will aim to accomplish the assignment within shorter period are encouraged.

Key deliverable of the endline survey includes:

•       Inception report detailing the study protocol, methodology, data collection tools, field work plan and quality assurance plan

•       Enumerators training materials (slides, handouts, etc.), training manual,

•       Endline ethical approval and permission from respective authorities

•       Endline survey Dataset syntax file (or Stata do file – preferred), cleaned data set and process followed during data verification and cleaning

•       Translated to English KIIs and FGDs

•       Endline report as per agreed format

•       PPT summarized key endline findings presented to stakeholders 

        8.     Qualification required. 

The consultant is expected to have specific competencies and experience in planning, designing, and carrying out a complex survey and qualitative inquiry studies. 

The consultant is therefore expected to meet the minimum qualifications listed below: 

•       The principal investigator is expected to have an advanced university degree related to nutrition, public health, or any other related background.

•       At least five (5) years of experience in designing and implementing complex evaluation/research studies, monitoring and evaluation of community interventions, Specific experience in adolescent and children nutrition, ECD, WASH survey and formative inquiry is a plus. 

•       Demonstrated strong familiarity with children under 2 years and adolescent and young women nutrition programs in Tanzania and the global context. Familiarity with multisectoral nutrition will be plus.

•       Demonstrated skills and experiences in performing complex statistical analysis. 

•       Demonstrated skills and experiences in qualitative methods of data collection and analysis.

•       Strong analytical and project management skills.

•       Good communication skills and report writing abilities.

•       Excellent knowledge of English writing

        9.     Expression of Interest

Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications, comprising a concise technical and financial proposal not exceeding ten (10) pages, along with the following:

i.               Technical Proposal: 

Provide details on team capability, understanding of the assignment and the technical approach to address the objectives of the assignment.

ii.              Financial Proposal:

Include all proposed costs in the local currency (i.e., consultation fees, operational costs, institutional charges and taxes), presented in a well-stipulated manner.

iii.            Additional Requirements

a.       Two sample reports from similar assignments.

b.       Registration certificate/license.

c.       Tax Identification Number (TIN) or VAT number.

d.       Confirmation of Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) receipt.

The proposal to be sent to the e-mailed bellow.

Catholic Relief Services – Tanzania Program

E-mail; tz_quotations@crs.org

Note: Please indicate “Consultancy Service for Endline Survey- Leveraging Community Systems to Optimize Maternal-Child Nutrition Project in Njombe and Mbeya Regions”

Bid written in English addressed to the attention of the CRS / Tanzania Program Country Manager must be submitted to the above e-mail address on or before January 05th, 2026, at 5:00 P.M

10.Award of Consultancy

CRS will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. CRS reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest, the highest or any bidder. Only the successful applicant will be contacted. CRS does not charge any fees from applicants for any recruitment.  Further, CRS has not retained any agent regarding this assignment.

You are advised that this RFP does not constitute in any way a commitment on the part of CRS/Tanzania or its agents, for any service requested.